Mosel valley and Cochem castle

The Mosel valley is one of Germany's famous winelands. It's a little over an hour drive from our home. Time seems to slow down in this beautiful area full of quaint villages, medieval castles, and steep vineyards. We ate lunch in Beilstein on a balcony overlooking the Mosel river and enjoyed walking around the peaceful town admiring the scenery.

We then headed for Burg Eltz, a very well preserved medieval castle from the 11th century. It is still owned by a branch of the family that once lived there in the 12th century. The castle is set deep in a forested valley on a smaller hill. A very impressive castle, there were 80 rooms, 40 fireplaces, and even 20 toilets that automatically flushed with a rain drain. It's furnished throughout, as it was 500 years ago. It was amazing to see the huge wall tapestries, beautiful furniture, and the amazing kitchen. The castle was under renovation, so our pictures are ruined with a huge crane. Here's a photo I found online though-


Finally, we went to Cochem and had dinner. We viewed Cochem castle from a distance, and walked along the riverfront and small cobbled streets until it was time to leave.


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